Improvement in registering tape-measures



' D 2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

J. P. GOM'LY.

Registering Tape-Measure. No. 209,658. Patented Now-5,1878.

' N. PETERS, FHOTO-LITHDGRAPNER, WASHINGTON. a. c

v TAT E S IMPROVEMENT IN REGISTERING TAPE-MEASURES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 209,658, dated November5, 1878; eradication med October 11, 1878.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JAMES F. O0MLY,-.of New Lexington, in the county ofPerry and State of Ohio, have invented a new and useful Improvement inMeasuring Registers and Calculating-Machines, of which the following isa specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings,formiu g a par-tethereof, in which- Figure 1 is a top view. Fig. 2 isalso a top view, with the dial-plate removed. Fig. 3 is a verticalsectional view on the line so a, Fig. 1. Fig. 4. is a vertical sectionalview on the line y y, Fi 2. Fig. 5 is a bottom view, showing the adjlisting-slab in dotted lines. Fi 6 1s aview in perspective.

My invention relates to devices for measurin g, recording, andcalculating the superficial contents of lumber and other like materials;and it consists in providing the taperecl on which the measuring cord ortape is woundwith a single adjustable bearing, wh ereby it can be movedtoward or from the first registering cog-wheel.

It consists, further, in the interchangeable calculating cog-wheels,attachable to the upper end of the reel, and to mesh into the firstregistering cog-wheel, whereby I am enabled to interpose one of thecalculating cog-wheels for specified lengths of the material to bemeasured, and accurately determine the contents thereof.

It consists, further, in certain details of construction, hereinaftermore fully described.

Referring to the drawings, A is a case of suitable construction, made intwo parts, and hinged at a. he top part of said case is provided with aglass top or cover. The bottom of the case A is provided with a slot, a,in which an arm or projection, 12, of the disk B is seated, and securedat any point desired by aset or thumb screw, 1). On the stem orprojection B of the disk B, I loosely mount the grooved tape-reel G, onwhich is wound the measuring cord or tape.

The tape-reel is provided with an ordinary spiral spring, by which thecord or tape is wound on the reel when released from the hand of theoperator.

On the upper part of the stem or projection 13 0f the disk 13, and in arecess in the tapereel, I secure a sleeve or drum, D,prov1ded withratchet-teeth d, which are operated upon by the pawl d, secured on theend of the tapereel, and kept in contact with the ratchetteeth by a st*ap-spring, (P.

It will be seen that by drawing out the cord .or-sjtapc, the tape-reel,drum, calculating cogwheel, and the whole chain of registeringgearingare acted upon; but when the tape is released it is wound again on thetape-reel by the action of the spring without moving or disturbing theother parts of the device.

The interchangeable calculating cog-wheels Fare mounted onanupwardly-projectin g stem or stud on the upper end of the sleeve or drumD, and are attached thereto by making the stem or stud at that pointsquare, and the perforations in the cog-wheels F correspondingly square,and secured by a screw-nut. Any strong reliable device may be resortedto for seeming the calculating-wheels to the stemor stud; but I preferthe one above described- By the above described arrangement of parts Iam enabled to move the axis of the tape-reel and drum toward and from agiven point of contact with the first registeringwheel, 0, and permitthe interposition of the interchangeable calculating cog-wheels.

The cog-wheels are made of varied diame- ,ters, and have a varied numberof cogs made thereon, which, when secured on the stem or stud of thedrum D, mesh into the first registering-wheel, 0.. By having thesewheels of varied diameters and with varying numbers of cogs capable ofbeing mounted interchange ably on the stem or stud of the drum D, I amenabled to ascertain the superficial contents of bodies of a givenlength in a simple and convenient manner. Should it be desirable, forinstance, to measure alot of lumber twelve feet in length, I then use acalculating-wheel having twelve cogs. If the length of the lumber besixteen feet, I interpose a wheel with sixteen cogs, and so on.

The first registering-wheel, c, the spindle or axis of which carries anindex-finger for registering units, is provided on its face with adownwardly-projectin g pin, which engages with the notches on the secondregisteringwheel, 0. The spindle of the wheel 0' carries anindex-finger, which registers the tens. The wheel a is provided on itsface with an upwardly-projectin g pin, which engages with notches in thethird registering-wheel, 0 the spindle of which carries the index forregistering hundreds. The wheel 0 is also provided on its upper facewith an upwardly-projectin g pin, which engages with notches on thefourth registering-wheel, 0 the spindle of which carries the index forregistering thousands. It will be readily seen that when the wheel a hasmade one revolution, its projecting pin will come in contact with thenotches on the wheel a, moving it around one point, registering ten; andwhen the second wheel has made a revolution, its pin will move the wheela one notch, and record a hundred, and so on.

For registering the number of feet I use four dials, g g g g, eachprovided with an indexfinger. The dials are provided with a series ofnumbers, indicating or representing different values, the first, g,indicating units; the second, 9, indicatingtens; the third, 9 indicatinghundreds; and the fourth, 1 indicating thousands. The lumber or othermaterial measured is thus tallied on the dials and can be read at aglance. Any number of dials may be used; or I may use dials with numbersindicating the superficial contents in feet or in yards, and other dialsindicating the amount in money value of the articles measured, withoutdeparting from the spirit of my invention. The plate G, on which thedials are printed or stamped, is a metallic segment, and is supported ateach end on the posts H H, the said posts being firmly secured in thebase-plate of the device. I may in practice use a similar metallicsegment for supporting the lower ends of the axis of theregistering-wheels. 'To prevent the registering-\vheels from turning ina reverse direction, and thus confusing the count, I employ doublespring-pawls (a, which engage with the notches of the registeringwheels.The reel-wheel O is, by preference, five inches in circumference, sothat in one revolution of said wheel five inches of the measuring cordor tape is paid out. This 1nsures a perfect working device.

. Having thus described my invention, I claim- 1. In a measuring,registering, and calculating machine, the tape-reel provided with asingle adjustable bearing, whereby the sald reel is capable of beingmoved toward and from the first registering-wheel, c, to admit of theinterposition of various-sized interchangeable calculating cog-wheclsfor measuring and recording specified lengths of material, substantiallyas described, and for the purpose set forth.

2. In a measuring, registering, and calculating device, theinterchangeable calculating cog-wheels F, each wheel being constructedwith reference to specified lengths of material, substantially asdescribed.

3. The combination of the adjustable tapereel 0 and drum 1) with theinterchangeable calculating cog-wheels F, when constructed and arrangedsubstantially as described, and for the purpose set forth.

4. The combination of the adjustable tapereel 0 and drum D with theinterchangeable calculating cog-wheels F, registering-wheels c c c 0 andthe index and dial-plate, when constructed in the manner described, andfor the purpose set forth.

JAMES F. GOMLY.

Witnesses:

E. J. MIDDLETON, Jr. WM. P. YOUNG.

